This is a confusing one for many people. "A lot of brands don't do a good job of clearly instructing their consumer on the dosing," says Chris Roth, CEO and co-founder of Highline Wellness. When thinking about dosing, also consider whether your CBD is full-spectrum or isolate: Full-spectrum could include other cannabinoids like cannabidivarin or cannabigerol (this is important, since "there's something called the 'entourage effect' when all together, they're more effective than any one of them alone," Roth explains), while isolate is 100% CBD. "Some people might only need 10 milligrams of full-spectrum CBD, but with isolate, even taking 80 or 100 milligrams might not have the same effect," he says.
Several weeks after a hysterectomy last spring, Bo Roth was suffering from exhaustion and pain that kept her on the couch much of the day. The 58-year-old Seattle speech coach didn’t want to take opioid pain-killers, but Tylenol wasn’t helping enough. Roth was intrigued when women in her online chat group enthused about a cannabis-derived oil called cannabidiol (CBD) that they said relieved pain without making them high. So Roth, who hadn’t smoked weed since college but lived in a state where cannabis was legal, walked into a dispensary and bought a CBD tincture.
To obtain the CBD-packed hemp extract from its organic crop, Highland Pharms uses a process called “supercritical CO2 extraction.” This method eliminates the need for more harmful solvents, while it also, the company says, yields CBD oil of an outstanding purity and efficacy. Those wanting to see for themselves can take their pick from Highland Pharms’ positively reviewed variety of tinctures – the strongest concentration of which measures up at 1,250 mg – as well as capsules and edibles. And if those potential customers have no idea exactly how much CBD they should be imbibing, then they can get themselves up to speed at the Texas-based company’s website, which offers a user-friendly guide to serving sizes and methods of CBD oil intake, among other common queries.

Dry Mouth: As is the case with many other hemp- and marijuana-based products, CBD oil often leads to a condition known as dry mouth (or cottonmouth). This is likely due to cannabinoids altering receptors in the lower jaw that trigger salivation. In most cases, mild discomfort and stronger-than-average thirst are the only issues associated with dry mouth.

It’s safe to say that Charlotte’s Web is probably the most recognized CBD brand out there — and it’s not all hype. This company pioneered the CBD industry and made it their mission to de-stigmatize CBD by setting the bar high for transparency. They produce and oversee their organic CBD products from seed to sale, standing behind them with a solid return policy.
Technically speaking, its THC—the cannabinoid that gets you high—which is illicit. When you take a drug test, the aim is to detect THC in your body, not “cannabis.” If you possessed weed without any THC in it, technically you wouldn’t be in violation of the law. Because “weed” without THC has a different name: hemp. And the rules governing hemp are quite different from the restrictions placed on cannabis.
Transdermal Patches – Remember those patches people put on their bodies to quit smoking? These patches allowed for a slow release of nicotine over the course of a day? Well, the same idea exists with CBD patches. This is a convenient way to get CBD into your body and endocannabinoid system over the course of a day. CLICK HERE to see our favorite patch.
Customer Service: There are multiple ways to get in touch with customer service, and Pure Hemp Botanicals’ customer service representatives are both quick to respond and forthcoming with information. On the down side, free shipping kicks in at $100 — otherwise it’s a pricey $9.99 flat rate. And you can return products, but only if they’re unopened.
The tincture is available in three strengths: 500mg, 1,000mg, and 3,000mg. Prices range from $0.04 to $0.07 per mg, depending on the concentration, which makes the tincture very low-priced compared to oils from most competing brands. Medterra also offers a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and will issue full refunds for all returns. In addition to the tincture, Medterra also offers CBD capsules in 25mg and 50mg concentrations.
Along with PureKana and Premium Jane, MedTerra CBD is one of the few companies that has a commercialization agreement with hemp farms under the Kentucky Pilot Research Program. My partner and I really like this brand because it’s clear that they’re much more focused on health and science rather than creating gimmicky promotions and web advertisements to try and build their “brand.” The CBD industry definitely needs more companies with this mentality. We haven’t tried them a whole lot, but we did receive a couple of samples of their “Medoil Tinctures,” and they worked particularly well for my partner’s anxiety and sleep issues. They also were OK for my back pain, but not quite as potent as some other brands I’ve used.

Transparency seems to be a priority at Green Roads, as the company’s website explains in detail the process by which its CBD oil is created and what it contains. Potential customers might also be reassured to find out that Green Roads products have been carefully compounded by a pharmacist with more than two decades of experience in the field. Meanwhile, to help ensure the quality of its products, the company regularly subjects its CBD oil to third-party lab tests, the results of which can be found online. Such stringency may, in turn, account for the highly positive reviews afforded to Green Roads’ most potent CBD oil tincture – a 1,500 mg concentrate. And for those wishing to branch out beyond that, the producer offers a range of similarly acclaimed edibles, including gummie-men and lollypops, as well as CBD oil-infused night-time syrups, capsules, tea and coffee.

The CBDistillery has two main strengths. The first is its variety of options. The CBDistillery offers CBD oil tinctures in a wide range of concentrations from 17mg up to 88 mg of CBD per serving. But what really sets the company apart is that they offer both full-spectrum and THC-free CBD oil options. Most people gravitate towards full-spectrum CBD oil to take advantage of the entourage effect. But with THC-free CBD oil, you can enjoy the benefits and effects of CBD even if you’re subject to mandatory drug testing.
CBD oil is prohibited for sale by terms of service on the major online marketplaces, including Amazon, eBay, and Groupon. Most of the products sold as CBD oil on those websites are hemp seed oil and don’t contain any CBD. We’ve also heard many reports of counterfeit and potentially dangerous products being sold as CBD oil on those websites. Your safest option is to always buy directly from the CBD company’s official website.
In addition to all the benefits we’ve already discussed, CBD has been proven to have antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. This means that it helps repair the damage from oxidative stress, which is believed to be a primary cause of diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS — even heart disorders and some forms of cancer. This is a hugely beneficial effect of CBD.
NuLeaf Naturals CBD oil tinctures are all full spectrum; it is 100% organic and never made with herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers. The brand offers a full spectrum pet CBD oil tincture, as well. NuLeaf Naturals offers free shipping to all 50 states; the brand’s products are also sold in more than 1,000 retail locations across the country.

Don’t let the name confuse you. CBD oil comes in many shapes and forms besides the traditional oils that we’ve highlighted here. CBD tinctures are the most popular type of CBD oil, because they tend to have more potent concentrations and offer high bioavailability (e.g. more CBD gets absorbed through your bloodstream when you apply it beneath your tongue as a tincture). Plus, users typically begin to feel the effects within minutes.

The company’s second strength is trust. The CBDistillery has done a lot to build trust with its customers, including transparent, third-party lab testing, quality control over every step of its manufacturing process, and no gimmicks. CBDistillery CBD oil is made using U.S. Hemp Authority-certified, non-GMO, industrial hemp grown in America using natural farming practices.
Green Gorilla marks itself out by simply blending its flagship line of CBD oils with organically produced extra virgin olive oil – and nothing else. And, as the company states, there’s a benefit to this beyond assuring the product’s purity. In particular, olive oil “has synergistic effects in combination with CBD,” and according to Green Gorilla’s website, it’s “also able to deliver the CBD to the parts of [the] body that need it most.” The products are certainly affordable, too: its 150 mg pure CBD oil comes in at $25.99, for instance, making it a smart choice for new users. And anyone still uncertain about the potential effects of Green Gorilla’s products may have their questions answered by the convenient “science” section of the manufacturer’s website, which neatly explains the difference between THC – the cannabinoid that makes people “high” – and CBD.
In fact, not only will CBD not make you high, it has been proven to counteract the psychoactivity of THC. This property makes CBD highly useful as a medical treatment for a wide range of conditions. In terms of the CBD products you can buy, the amount of THC present varies from none at all in a pure CBD Isolate to a minimal amount (less than 0.3%) in a Full-Spectrum CBD product.
Like Premium Jane, Fab CBD is another newcomer to the industry, and they made this list simply because of how affordable they are. We received some samples quite awhile back, and while they weren’t the most potent products in the world, they absolutely did work and if you were to buy them from the online store they are about 15% cheaper than other top brands. ($79 for a 600 mg bottle compared to the average $95).
Along with PureKana and CW Hemp, I would say that Green Roads CBD oil probably rounds out the top 3 most popular hemp companies selling online, and that would generally translate to status as the “best CBD oil,” right? They have an incredible web presence, and in fact run a really great blog that you should keep up with if you’re interested in the latest CBD news, trends, etc. They’re also big into offering loads of different product, including pre-dosed pens called “Daily Doses,” CBD terpenes, edibles, and even potent CBD concentrates that you can dab (I don’t have a dab rig myself, but I have friends who say the potency is incredible). Honestly, you’ve just got to check out their website in order to get a better idea of the huge range of products they’ve got — all of which are of the highest quality.
Dry Mouth: As is the case with many other hemp- and marijuana-based products, CBD oil often leads to a condition known as dry mouth (or cottonmouth). This is likely due to cannabinoids altering receptors in the lower jaw that trigger salivation. In most cases, mild discomfort and stronger-than-average thirst are the only issues associated with dry mouth.
The human body also produces cannabinoids, known as endocannabinoids, in a bodily system known as the endocannabinoid system (or ECS). The ECS promotes homeostasis by regulating a wide range of functions, including motor skills, mood, appetite, and sleep. As we age, our ECS produces fewer endocannabinoids; they may also decrease due to physical injury or disease. Replenishing depleted endocannabinoids with phytocannabinoids like CBD can help restore balance to the body.
Additionally, PlusCBD oil is incredibly rigorous and transparent when it comes to testing their products and sharing the results. They perform thorough in-house testing to verify potency and screen for contaminants. PlusCBD Oil also validates its own in-house testing with independent third-party testing via DB Labs to ensure all products are free of pesticides, fungicides, residual solvents, heavy metals, and microbiological contamination.
Fab CBD offers full refunds for all products returned within 30 days of the original purchase. Inexpensive shipping rates are also available; most customers receive their delivery within seven or fewer business days. Customers can contact Fab CBD by phone or email if they have questions or concerns about their delivery. Those who join the brand’s online community qualify for product discounts, as well.
What you gain from Full Spectrum CBD is called the “entourage effect.” Studies have suggested that CBD is most effective when it’s combined with other cannabinoids. Each cannabinoid has its own properties and confers its own benefits. Working together, a synergy is created that boosts the healing properties of CBD. Full spectrum CBD does, however, bring with it the sticky issue of THC. The government regulates concentration levels of THC at 0.3 percent, an amount which results in minimal psychoactivity.
Several weeks after a hysterectomy last spring, Bo Roth was suffering from exhaustion and pain that kept her on the couch much of the day. The 58-year-old Seattle speech coach didn’t want to take opioid pain-killers, but Tylenol wasn’t helping enough. Roth was intrigued when women in her online chat group enthused about a cannabis-derived oil called cannabidiol (CBD) that they said relieved pain without making them high. So Roth, who hadn’t smoked weed since college but lived in a state where cannabis was legal, walked into a dispensary and bought a CBD tincture.
CBD Essence’s range of CBD oils are what’s called “full-spectrum.” Basically, this means that in addition to the active CBD component they contain other important ingredients from the cannabis plant (such as terpenes and flavonoids). However, it’s important to understand that their products are 100% THC-free, meaning they don’t produce any high at all.
Generally, your dose depends on two key factors: your body weight and the severity of your symptoms. The more you weigh, and the more severe your symptoms, the more CBD you’ll likely need to take to feel relief. Although, every person has a unique body chemistry and personal receptivity to CBD, so don’t be worried if you find a lower or higher dose to be more effective for you than what’s “typical.” What’s important if that you find a dose that works!
REM Behavior Disorder: REM behavior disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia disorder characterized by shouting, becoming physically agitated, or otherwise acting out during sleep. For many, RBD is a symptom of a larger, more serious condition or disorder, such as Alzheimer’s disease or PTSD. CBD oil minimizes the symptoms of RBD, and also alleviates the anxiety and painful symptoms that often accompany disorders that lead to RBD.